1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is generally related to facsimile transmission of documents, commonly known as fax systems, and is specifically directed to a fax system for sending documents and printed materials via distributed communication networks such as, by way of example, the Internet.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Facsimile transmission of documents and printed matter is well known. In a typical application, the document is fed through a transmission machine, where the printed or graphic material on the hard document is converted into a digital signal. This signal is then transmitted in real time over a telephone line to a compatible receiving machine where it is decoded and a facsimile document is reproduced.
Over the years, numerous changes have been made in this basic concept to improve both the quality and the efficiency of the transmission. Most receiving units still record and encode the information on a line-by-line feed. Others store the entire document code prior to initiating transmission and store the entire received document prior to reproduction. Still other systems utilize memory capacity to permit storage of the documents during normal business hours for transmission during off hours. Comprehensive data compression and reduction schemes have been implemented in order to reduce the amount of data required to be transmitted and thus the transmission time.
All of these various improvements have been made to reduce the amount of on-line time and cost per transmission. Since transmission currently is almost always via public telephone lines, both congestion and expense are issues. This is particularly true when transmitting documents over domestic long distance lines or international telephone systems. Enormous savings could be achieved by a facsimile transmission system which is not dependent upon long distance and international public telephone lines.